Life belt inflating mechanism



July 20, 1943.4 L. T. WARD 2,324,744

LIFE BELT INFLATING MEGHANISM Filed Feb. 10, 1942 ZSheets-Sheet l Y July 2o, 1943. L T. WARD '2,324,744

LIFE yBELT INFLATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 10, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE Y 2,324,744 LIFE BELT INFLATING ME CHAN-ISM Lawrence T`. Ward', Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 1o, 19.42, serial. No. 430,205.

11 Claims.

My present invention relates, `to lite` belt in,- flating means of the compressed gas bulb type, a two-,part holder being provided for the bulbs whereby the` holder parts may be disassociated for renewing the bulbs.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple arrangement whereby the bulbs are receivable in a body member having nipples communicating with individual compartments of an inatable life belt, a piercing pin supporting member being connectable, with the body member and including piercingY pins, sealing means and actuating levers for the piercing pins.

, `Another objectn is to provide a life belt. inflating` means which may be readily connected with Cil a life belt, with the body member having nipples j received in the necks of the life belt compartments at one end of the life belt, and the pierc-` ing pin supporting member being connected with the other end of the life` belt.

Another object is to provide a connecting means for the supporting member and the body member which compresses a gasket between the two to provide a seal, the piercing pins in the supporting member having cone-shaped rubber H diaphragms or bellows-'means for sealing the movable piercing pins.

Still another object is to provide convenient operatingy means in the form-of bell crank levers, one for each piercing pin. l

. With these` and other objects inview, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of'n the various parts of my device whereby the objects` contemplated are attained,` as hereinafter more fullyV set, forth, pointed out in my claims Aand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: `1 ,Y

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my life belt inflating mechanismA attached to a life belt;

, Figure 2 is a sectional view onA the line 2-2 of Figure l;r Y l Figure 3` is a similar sectional View showing amodified construction; Figure 4 is` a. sectional'viewy partially on the line 4 4 of Figure 2;'` p Figure 5 is a sectional view partially on the line 5--5 of Figure- 2, Figures` 4 and 5v showing the two parts of the inflating mechanism disconnected, said parts being shownv connected togetherA in Figure l; 1 ,Figure 6 is a sectional View ofl Figure 4; l

3 4Figure 7 is a; sectional View on the line 1--1 of Figure 5; i

onz the line 6;-6

Figure 8 is a sectional View `on the` line 8-8 of Figure 4i; and. i

Figure 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modi-fied bolt for securing the piercing pin supporting' member tof the body member. Y

On the accompanying `drawings I have used the reference character LB tofindicate generally a life belt, The` life belt shown is of the type adaptedk to passaroundY the waist of a, person, the two ends thereof onlyrbeing `shown in Fig,- ure l. One end of the life belt is provided with a, pair of necks Il), the belt being of` the typeV divided into a pair of compartments I2.V The other end of the lifcbelt LB is sealed off with atransverse, bead,A indicated at I3\ My lifebelt inflating mechanism includes a body member B and a supporting member` S, shown respectively in: Figures I5 and 4. The body member B has. a pair of nipples I4 received in the necks Ill` and connected therewith in leak-proof manner by the necks tting into elliptical grooves I6 around the` nipples. Clamp bands I1 are nally passed around the necks II) toretain them in the grooves, I6, and the necks are preferably vulcanized in thegrooves. The life belt, of course, may be` made of rubber or rubberized fabric, in the usual manner.` a

The supporting member S has a web "I8` pro.- vided with-a slot I9. Theslot I9 is adapted to receive a` hook 2U of. a buckle member' having complementary parts 2l and 22..` Thepart 22 is pivoted to the part ZI in the usual manner, by pintles 23 of the member 22 passing through perforationsd'ofthe member 2--I.

The body memberBy is provided with a pair of bores 25 to loosely receive compressed `gas bulbs 26a, `such as Sparkletf bulbs; The.nipplesY I4 are provided with slots 25-i to;` permit passage of gas from theubulb- 2te between the bulb. and the" bore "Llandfinally through the slots andintothe compartments I2. of theglife belt as will here.- inafter appear. The. body: member B further i-n-L- cludes a. threaded.` opening, 2li.

rlhesupporting member S. includes .a pair of bores 2B receiving diaphragm retainersiZS. The retainer 29- is-screwed down against a flange 30 ceived. ina. groove of the supportingV memberto;

contactwith one end of the body` memberI Btc Adotted position shown.

seal the two relative to each other, as shown in Figure 2.

For eiecting such seal a bolt 36 is provided having a knurled head 3l and screw threads 38. The screw threads 38 are adapted to be received in the threaded opening 2 of the body member B, and the bolt is retained against dislocation from thesupporting member S by set screw and groove means 33-40. The parts may be separated, as in Figures 4 and 5, for inserting the bulbs 26a, and then secured together by turning the bolt 36 into the threaded opening 21 so that, nally, the positions of Figures 1 and 2 are assumed. In these positions the gasket is compressed to effect a seal.

For actuating each piercing pin 33l I provide a lever L pivoted on a pivot pin 4| extending transversely through the supporting member S, as best shown in Figure 6. The lever L has a handle end 42 and an actuating end 43 disposed substantially at right angles to each other. The handle end 42 extends along the body member B.

As shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, the handle 42 of the lever L may be pulled away from the life belt to depress the piercing pin 33 to the In this position a piercing end 33nl oi the pin enters the bulb ZtlEL to release the gas therefrom in the usual manner. The cone-shaped diaphragm 3l maintains an effective seal while permitting the piercing pin to move to piercing position. Finally, when the lever 42 is released, a spring 44 returns the piercing pin to initial position, thereby permitting free 'passage of gas from the bulb 2te.

Where the life belts are to have the gas bulbs 26a renewed at a central depot instead of being renewed by the wearer, a modified form of bolt 36a, as illustrated in Figure 9, may be used. Instead of a knurled head, the bolt 36a has a sock- `et 3la adapted to be engaged by a special tool "for the purpose.

In Figure 3 I show a modication wherein, in-

stead of the cone-shaped diaphragm 3l, a bellows Sla is used to eiect a seal between the supporting member S and the piercing pin 33. In this instance, one end of the bellows may be soldered to the sleeve 23a and its other end soldered to a filange-32a of the piercing pin.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device withfout departing 'from the real spirit and purpose of kmy invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modied forms of structure, or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. L-ife belt inilating mechanism comprising a body member having a pair of nipples at one end of and received in indivdual compartments of an inatable life belt and adapted to receive compressed gas bulbs, said body member having a threaded opening between said bulbs, a piercing pin supporting member having means of connecftion with the other end of said life belt, said supporting member having a pair or" piercing pins slidable therein and a bore between said piercing pins, a bolt extending through said bore and into the threads oiv said body member to secure the supporting member to the body member, a lever for 'operating each of said piercing pins, each lever being pivoted to said supporting member and having a handle extending along the outside ofthe body member, and means for sealing each piercing pin relativeV to said supporting member. y 2. Life belt inflating mechanism comprising a body member having nipples received in individual compartments of an inflatable life belt and adapted to receive compressed gas bulbs, said body member having a threaded opening between said bulbs, a piercing pin supporting member having a pair of piercing pins slidable therein and a bore between said piercing pins, a bolt through said bore and into the threads of said body member to secure the supporting member to the body member, a lever for each of said piercing pins, each lever being pivoted to said supporting member and having a handle extending along theY outside of the body. member, and means for sealing each piercing pin relative to said supporting member.

3. Life belt inlating mechanism comprising a single body member having a pair of nipples received in individual compartments of an inflatable life belt and adapted to receive compressed gas bulbs, a single piercing pin supporting member having detachable means of connection with said body member, a lever for each of said piercing pins, each lever being pivoted to said supporting member and having a manually operable handle, and means for sealing each piercing pin relative to said supporting member.

4. Life belt inlating mechanism comprising a single body member having hollow nipples received in individual compartments of an inflatable life belt and adapted to receive compressed gas bulbs, a piercing pin supporting member, a piercing pin supported thereby for each of said hollow nipples, means for connecting said supporting member to said body member, means for operating each of said piercing pins, and means for sealing each piercing pin relative to said single supporting member.

5. Inating mechanism for an inflatable life belt comprising a body member having a plurality of nipples for individual compartments of the belt, said nipples being secured in necks of the compartments at one end of the life belt and each adapted to receive a compressed gas bulb, a piercing pin supporting member having means of connection with the other end of the life belt, said supporting member having a piercing pin slidable therein for each of said nipples, means for detachably securing said supporting member to said body member,'means for actuating each of said piercing pins, a sealing cone of resilient material vulcanized to each of said piercing pins and connected with said supporting member in leaktight manner, and gasket means between said supporting member and body member to seal the two relative to each other, a spring being provided for each of vsaid piercing pins to return it after the means 'for operating the pin has Vbeen released.

6. Inating mechanism `for a life belt comprising a body member having a plurality of nipples receved in individual compartments Yof the belt and each adapted to receive a compressed gas bulb, a piercing pin supporting member having means of connection with one end of the life belt, said supporting member-having a piercing pin slidable therein for each of said nipples, means for detachably securing said supporting member to said body member, means for actuating each of said piercing pins, a sealing cone of resilient material on each of said piercing pins and connected with said supportinf7 member in leak-tight manner, and gasket means between said supporting member and body member to seal the two relative to each other. Y

'7. Inating mechanism for an inflatable life belt comprising a body member having a plurality of nipples received in individual compartments of the belt, said nipples being secured in necks of the compartments at one end of the belt, a piercing pin supporting member having means of connection with the other end of the life belt, said supporting member having a piercing pin slidable therein for each of said nipples, means for detachably securing said supporting member to said body member, means for actuating each of said piercing pins, and a sealing diaphragm of resilient material around each of said piercing pins and connected With said pins and said supporting member in leak-tight manner.

8. Life belt inflating mechanism comprising a body member having a pair of nipples received in individual compartments of an inatable life belt at one end of the belt, each of said nipples being adapted to receive a compressed gas bulb, a supporting member, a bolt for securing said supporting member to said body member, said supporting member being detachably secured to the opposite end of the life belt, a piercing pin for each bulb slidably carried in said supporting member, a bellows for sealing each of said piercing pins with respect to said supporting member, a lever for each of said piercing pins, a pivot pin for said levers, said levers having handle portions extending along the outside of the body member and actuating portions extending inwardly across the ends of the piercing pins.

9. Life belt inflating mechanism comprising a body member having a pair of nipples, each of said nipples being adapted to receive a compressed gas bulb, asupporting member, a single' means for securing said supporting member to said body member, a piercing pin for each bulb slidably carried in said supporting member, means for sealing each of said piercing pins with respect to said supporting member, said last means being located on opposite sides oi said single securing means, and operating means for said piercing pins.

10. Life belt inflating mechanism comprising a body member having hollow nipples received in individual compartments of an inilatable life belt, each of said nipples being adapted to receive a compressed gas bulb, a supporting member, means for securing said supporting member to said body member, a piercing pin for each bulb slidably carried in said supporting member, a lever for each o said piercing pins, a pivot pin for said levers, said levers having handle portions extending along the outer side of said body member and actuating portions extending inwardly across the ends of the piercing pins, said levers being operable to actuate said piercing pins by movement of said handle portions toward said outer side of said body member.

l1. Life belt inilating mechanism comprising a body member having a pair of nipples received in necks of individual compartments of an inflatable life belt at one end of the belt, each of said nipples being hollow to receive a compressed gas bulb, a supporting member, means for detachably securing said supporting member to said body member, said supporting member being secured to the opposite end of the life belt, a piercing pin for each bulbslidably carried in said supporting member, diaphragm means for sealing each of said piercing pins with respect to said supporting member, and operating means for said piercing pins.

` LAWRENCE' T. WARD. 

